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I believe it was the late great John Lennon who turned an ordinary statement into an accusatory question — “So this is Christmas, and what have you done?” John didn’t waste time getting to his point, especially when harvesting suspicions that other people wasted time in general. What does Lennon’s song have to do with an MMA column on Christmas? Everything!
Or nothing.
The truth is it’s just a cheap way to set up a premise for this year’s MMA list of who’s been naughty, and who’s been nice.
Some people did good things in MMA. Some didn’t. Some were decent people. Some were not. And some, like UFC president Dana White, just fanned their faces with cash while mouthing the words over and over again, “it is what it is.”
Let’s get right into it.

The death of legendary mixed martial arts head coach Robert Follis has been ruled a suicide by the Clark County (Nev.) Coroner, a spokesperson from the coroner’s office told MMA Fighting on Monday.
Follis, the former coach at Xtreme Couture and a founding member of Team Quest, died Friday of a gunshot wound to the head, the spokesperson said. The place of death was Nevada State Route 160. Follis was 48 years old.

Edmonton officials have imposed a one-year ban on combat sports in the city.
The city council passed a new bylaw that will stop the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission from issuing new licenses or event permits until Dec. 31, 2018 “or until Council provides further direction,” per a news release issued Friday. The provision will go into effect Saturday.

How many times have we seen it? A fighter, in a clinch up against the fence, sticks his or her fingers in and grabs the cage to help jockey for leverage.
It can happen multiple times over the course of a contest and, even after verbal warnings are given for the prohibited maneuver, it still seems like referees are loathe to take a point away.
Why is that? Why do referees view taking a point as more of a last-ditch effort rather than a regular procedure?

Daniel Lima had his seven-fight winning streak snapped Sunday in Japan, and the loss came 24 hours after a scary scene at the Pancrase 290 weigh-ins.
Lima could barely stand on his own in Tokyo, Japan, to weigh in for his strawweight bout with Daichi Kitakata. Lima missed weight by two pounds.
The scene wasn’t enough for his coaches or promoters to pull the plug on the fight, so Lima went on to compete and lose a decision Sunday.
The Brazilian fighter spoke with MMA Fighting a few hours before the bout, explaining that he cut 16 pounds in two days.

An MMA fighter pulled off a ridiculous, pro-wrestling style submission Saturday in a fight at Full Contact Contender 19 in Bolton, England. Jonno Mears finished Aaron Jones with what looked exactly like a Boston Crab ripped right from the world of WWE.
With Jones laying on his stomach, Mears grabbed both of Jones’ legs and bent them backward until Mears was in a sitting position. Jones was forced to tap out — either to the pressure on his back or what could have also been a foot lock variation.
Either way, it was a unique and spectacular way to end a fight. It was reminiscent of the finishing move used by WWE’s Chris Jericho, which he has dubbed The Walls of Jericho.

Cannabidiol will be removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list beginning in 2018, WADA announced Friday. Cannabidiol, most commonly known as CBD, is a cannabinoid contained in cannabis. Currently, all cannabinoids are prohibited in-competition by WADA.

A welterweight title bout between Silmar "Sombra" Nunes and Caio "Paturi" Silva ended in chaos in Capanema, Brazil.
Nunes choked out Silva in the main event of Capanema Fight Combat on Sept. 23, but the referee didn’t stop the fight when Silva went unconscious. While still holding the submission, Nunes warned the referee multiple times that his opponent was out, but referee Jorge Gomes insisted Silva was fine. That’s when Silva’s cornerman jumped into the cage and started to punch Nunes in the face in an attempt to stop the fight.
The chaotic video quickly went viral, and MMA Fighting spoke with everyone involved in the wild scene.

Combat sports officials have been getting savaged in the press these days after a number of high profile flubs. But what about all the screw ups that don't get much exposure because they happen way down in the minor leagues in countries far far away? Check out this latest incident of referee malfeasance:

To a lot of people, Shayna Baszler's move from MMA to pro wrestling was leaving one world for another.
But for her, given her background, it's more like switching branches on the same tree, an analogy she's used for years, long before she became a pro wrestler, since it was taught to her that way by Billy Robinson.

Former UFC and WEC fighter Javier Vazquez, 40, is in need of financial support after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
Vazquez (16-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) last competed in MMA in June 2011, earning a unanimous-decision win over “The Ultimate Fighter 2” winner Joe Stevenson. The UFC, WEC, EliteXC and King of the Cage veteran recently underwent surgery to have a tumor removed and is now facing a regimen of chemotherapy.
One of Vazquez’s, friends recently launched a GoFundMe page to help raise money for medical care, establishing a goal of $35,000.

For Pat Barry, everything came crashing down because of a pizza. It was last July and he had finished a sparring session with Brock Lesnar in Alexandria, Minn. and wanted to eat, and what’s a little pizza without a drink? Especially when the locals are spending their time side-eyeing you, wondering what in the hell you’re doing there?

One of the biggest questions that has persisted throughout combat sports history is how long is too long to stick around? The nature of the fight game, blunt force trauma to the head, means that it’s better suited to young men but the reality is that aging veterans and legends of the sport often have a hard time letting go, often to their detriment. Most recently, these questions about when to walk away have surfaced regarding two of MMA’s all-time greats: B.J. Penn and Fedor Emelianenko.

UFC 214 is a month away, however, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has already held its first weigh-in for the event.
Earlier this week, the commission had the six fighters competing in title fights on the July 29 card -- Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia, Cris Cyborg and Tonya Evinger — weigh-in via FaceTime.

UFC recently announced a new, live, and exclusive UFC Fight Pass show titled: Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. The show is set to launch Tuesday, July 11, 2017. The new weekly series will feature five live fights in each episode, showcasing up-and-coming talent, as well as athletes striving to revive their professional mixed martial arts careers.
On Thursday, the UFC unveiled the first Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series fight card topped by three UFC veterans trying to earn their way back into the Octagon: Joby Sanchez, Justin Jones, and Kurt Holobaugh.

Former UFC heavyweight Tim Hague died today after suffering a knockout loss in a boxing match on Friday night in Canada.
Hague’s sister confirmed the fighter’s death in a post on her Facebook page:
“It is with incredible sadness, sorrow and heartbreak to report that Tim has passed away today,” Jackie Neil wrote. “He was surrounded by family, listening to his favourite songs. We will miss him with so greatly.”
Hague was 34.

Sportsnet's James Lynch reported Saturday that former UFC fighter Tim Hague is in the intensive care unit with a serious brain injury.
Lynch added that the injury occurred Friday during a boxing match against Adam Braidwood.

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) wants to give back to the fighters who have given their blood, sweat and tears in the ring or the cage.
The body, which informally oversees commissions in the United States and Canada, announced the launch of a charitable fund benefiting retired combat sports participants last weekend at the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Canastota, N.Y.

Two Russian mixed martial arts fighters face punishment following an alleged attack on an official after a decision went against one of them in the ring.
Up-and-coming fighter Gadzhimurad Khiramagomedov lost a split decision to fellow Russian Georgy Kichigin at an event in Kazakhstan on Friday night.

Colorado-based Elevation Fight Team is parting ways with long-time team sponsor MusclePharm.
“As a team, Elevation Fight Team has decided to move all of it's training from the MusclePharm Facility to the chain of Easton Training Centers located throughout Colorado,” coach Eliot Marshall told MMAFighting.com. “The partnership Elevation has had with MusclePharm over the last four years has been awesome and is something we are all appreciate greatly. That being said, the time to move to more of a traditional setting is now. By moving our training to the Easton Training Centers, our fighters will now reap the benefits of having a full curriculum of classes and many different locations to choose from.